Darius Van Driel (-14) has achieved his first victory in the DP World Tour after prevailing in the last day of the Magical Kenya Open with a scorecard of 67 strokes, making the effort of the rest of the candidates futile, and more specifically, of the three Spanish players who have made it into the final top 5: Nacho Elvira (-12), second; and Adrián Otaegui (-11) and Manu Elvira (-11), fourth.
Van Driel has finally won and he has done it at 34 years old and after more than a hundred tournaments played (112) in this circuit, but anyone would say it seeing him handle himself in the stellar match today. Too good, it seems, to have taken so long…
Because it is possible that the Dutchman has won mainly thanks to the pure eagle he holed on hole 10 and then another long birdie putt, from about eight meters, that he sank on the 12, actions that are a bit more of a lottery on such irregular greens. But in his case it is fair to clarify: in addition to being right in those two specific situations, he has been the best from tee to green among all those who made up the extensive list of candidates. After a slightly more doubtful start, he has been the one who has left the ball closest to the flag more times. There could not have been, therefore, a more fair winner.
How many Van Driels are there in those circuits of the world, lurking, waiting for their moment, while they earn a moderate or notably good living with the fourteen clubs? That’s the charm of high-level golf: nobody knows for sure how many there will be, but they are legion.
Having paid tribute to the rightful champion, let’s also point out that it has been a fourth round full of emotion, one that truly creates fans. Much more so when it comes to Spanish golf. Adrián Otaegui, for example, has staged a distant and sustained attack (round of 65 strokes), just like Santi Tarrio (-8), although the Galician came from even further away and it was enough for him to finally fall just short of the top ten. Also Joel Moscatel (-7), who sealed his performance with three consecutive birdies, has once again shown (and proven to himself) that his place, in the long run, can and should be the first division.
The Elvira brothers, on the other hand, who were the ones with the most options, especially Manu, who was alongside Van Driel in the stellar match, have measured up. The older one, Nacho, has played to win, as evidenced by the 66 he signed. It is true that for the first nine he was forced to save some delicate situations, but afterwards, in the second half of the Muthaiga Golf Club, he brought out his best repertoire, aggressive and dominant, aware that nobody was yet pulling away.
And from Manu, without any doubt, we remember his excellent attitude. It probably wasn’t the day when things went best for him, but he looked comfortable in the fight of the stellar match, as comfortable as one can be. Up to the challenge. Not even that ugly blast he hit from the sand on hole 5 took him out of the bubble. He just needed something more to happen in his round, something special, because his best shot, the second on hole 18, par 5, came when his options had practically been reduced to nothing. But his intention was always visible against a granite-like match partner. In the end, he putted for eagle from about three meters, after the aforementioned great shot, at least to tie for second place with Nacho and save himself from fraternal mockery…
Something tells us that this year we are going to see this player in this situation a good handful of Sundays. If not in the stellar match, very close, and with serious chances of victory. In some way, he is also pulling his older brother along, even more willing to give the appropriate response. It’s all gains for them and for the Armada.
